Name: Andy Whaley
Graduation Year: 1998
Major: Marketing
Current Position: Chief Growth Officer at JMARK
City and State: Springfield, MO
Tell us about your career and what you do now.
Ever since graduating from Evangel in 1998, I’ve held a variety of marketing positions in the area. I started at Noble & Associates advertising and learned a lot about branding. I was pleased to discover that the education I received in my Evangel Marketing classes prepared me very well for the road ahead. By the way, I must give a big shoutout to Dr. Dennis Wubbena (EU marketing professor) for helping coordinate the interview at Noble and for recommending me. My time at Noble set me up well for my next role as the head of brand marketing for Bass Pro Shops corporate. In this time, I was able to create the first-ever brand marketing plans for BPS, launched their first social media account, and developed the Ascend brand in tandem with our design agency. After about 3 years, God led me to head up the marketing team at AG Financial. It was a powerful experience, as I truly felt the Lord’s leading and had many confirmations that this was the right thing. It was an honor to serve with so many great people at AG Financial for more than 12 years. I am currently serving as the Chief Growth Officer at JMARK, a managed IT services provider. As CGO, I manage the Sales, Marketing, and RevOps teams – all working together to help JMARK grow in a strong and healthy way.
What is your favorite memory from Evangel?
Anyone who has spent 4 years at Evangel knows there are so many great memories to choose from for this. While I have more great memories than I can count, it was all about the relationships and community. Were the classes great? Yes. Was the spiritual emphasis crucial for those pivotal year? Absolutely. But I can’t look past the blessing of the people I met at Evangel (including my wife!) who are still my closest friends to this day!
How did your experience at Evangel prepare you for life after graduation?
My time at Evangel prepared me for life in many ways. My education set me up for success in my marketing career. Friends I made at Evangel have been life-long friends – several that I visit often, some that I ended up working with, and one I married.
Also, Evangel’s approach of blending quality academics with a focus on spiritual development has been reflected in my career of achieving success while also being true to who I am as a believer.
What advice would you give a current student preparing for the workforce?
One of my favorite things is guest-teaching in EU marketing classes. I often tell students to get out into their desired field and do job shadows or an internship. It helps to get to know what a potential job looks like before you hone-in on exactly what you want to do. It also helps to find someone in that field that will grab coffee with you and share what the industry is like and any words of wisdom they may have.
Lastly, let your professors help! Evangel has amazing, compassionate professors who are committed to helping students thrive. They, and their departments, have professional contacts around the world they can connect students with. All you have to do is raise your hand, advocate for yourself, get connected with the right people, and go make it happen.
What would you look for if you were in a position to hire new graduates from Evangel?
As one who has hosted over 50 interviews, I’ve learned to look for 3 things.
- Does the candidate have the skill set to achieve the objectives?
- Is the candidate a good cultural fit for the organization?
- Is the candidate a good fit for my team?
I also look for personal drive/ambition, organizational skills, ability to interact well with others, and humility.